While looking at the face of Terre, you will notice the physical appearance of blonde hair, blue eyes, and pink lips. This description is given to the reader on the first page. This description is important because it shows the reader how the universal standard of what is beautiful can be applied to Terra’s physical attributes.
The sequins used on the entire face represent the perfection that Terra strives for. She strives for this perfection by working out …show more content…
Terra’s birthmark is a Port-Wine stain that is mentioned to be shaped loosely like Bhutan and covers her entire cheek. Her birthmark is a constant obstacle, whether it is people staring at her for it, the sharp comments from her father, or her own shame of the red splotch. Throughout the book Terra works towards overcoming this mark.
When the head is turned around, there is a hole cut into the back. This hole is a symbolic geocache of Terra. Geocaching is an immense part of North of Beautiful. Geocaching is how Terra finds her true self and accepts who she is. Inside this geocache are visual representations of the events and elements which make up Terra and the book as a whole.
Much like Saint Christopher, Terra is protective of her mother. Terra acts as her mother’s guide to the rest of the world. An event in North of Beautiful that represents this is right after Terra had gotten laser surgery to lighten her birthmark. Even though she had just undergone this treatment Terra had no choice but to drive the five hours back to their home with her mother riding in the passenger seat. This was Terra’s role and responsibility she had to her mother and, much like Saint Christopher she was a protection her mother clung to hopelessly. Another event to outline the protection Terra provides her mother is after the car accident, where they meet Jacob and Nora. After the wreck Terra is again forced to be her mother’s protector …show more content…
Their climb symbolizes them both overcoming the doubts, anxiety, and fear they face. It shows them both how much they’ve been missing and their ability to take control of their own lives without permission from anyone.
Explore. When Terra first meets Jacob the idea of making her own path and it being okay to get lost is unimaginable. Throughout, North of Beautiful she slowly branches out and steps away from her routine. In doing this, she finds herself and learns to accept every part of who she is and could be.
All around the bottom of the neck are a line of stickers. These stickers are reflective like a mirror. One of the most important moments in the book takes place in an orphanage in China. This is where Terra realizes how fake she is with her layers of makeup. This is the moment Terra realizes she isn’t who she wants to be and she scrubs all of the makeup off. This is when Terra recognizes her own worth and beauty and decides not to hide herself anymore to appease anyone. Theses stickers are reflective of her epiphany in that bathroom as she stared at her caked on